Fees
Our Fees for the 2024-25 Academic Year will be as follows:
2-Year-Olds - £7.50 per hour
3/4-Year-Olds - £7.25 per hour
Fees are set by the preschool committee and are reviewed annually.
Payment is due in advance of each term. Invoices are sent out three times a year, usually during the preceding term, and cover payment for Terms 1/2, Terms 3/4 and Terms 5/6. There is no reduction in fees for time taken off during term time.
The government offers a number of ways to support families paying for Childcare, including the Early Years Entitlement (EYE) Funding and the Tax Free Childcare scheme. All information, eligibility criteria and application details can be found at the Childcare Choices website.
Parents are required to give a term's notice (based on a 6-term year) if they wish to reduce the number of sessions attended or terminate their child's place.
Funded Hours Contribution
The funding that we receive from the government for children accessing Early Years Entitlement (EYE) Funding is insufficient to cover our essential expenditure on staff, premises, insurance, equipment and resources. We, therefore, like most other settings ask for a contribution applicable only to funded hours to cover the costs of running a high quality and sustainable setting.
The Funded Hours Contribution for the 2024-25 Academic Year is:
2-Year-Olds - £0.00*
3/4-Year-Olds - £1.95 per hour.
*The current government provision for 2-year-olds is higher than for older Preschoolers so we have made the decision to not add the Funded Hours Contribution for 2-year-olds at this stage.
This rate is also set by the preschool committee and are reviewed annually.
Early Years Entitlement Funding
We accept all EYE Funded Places for 2 and 3/4-year olds. Further information, eligibility criteria and application details for this EYE funding can be found at the Childcare Choices website.
Children can access the EYE Funding from the term after they turn either 2 or 3:
Children born between 1st April and 31st August will be eligible from the start of Term 1.
Children born between 1st September and 31st December will be eligible from the start of the start of Term 3.
Children born between 1st January and 31st March will be eligible from the start of the start of Term 5.
15/30 Funded hours - Working Families
Up to 15 hours for eligible 2-year-olds.
Up to 30 hours for eligible 3/4-year-olds.
This EYE Funding is available for some working families of 2 and 3/4-year-olds.
You can find out if you are eligible and apply online through the Childcare Choices website. You will be issued with a code to provide to us so that we can confirm your entitlement. Codes are valid for three months from the date of issue, and you will need to obtain a code before the start of the term in which you wish to claim. You will have to re-confirm your eligibility for the scheme every three months. The funding is paid directly to the preschool, after parents/carers have signed an eligibility form and shown your child’s Proof of Birth so that we can make your claim.
15 Funded hours - Universal
Up to 15 hours for all 3/4-year-olds
This EYE Funding is available to all families of 3/4-year-olds. The funding is paid directly to the preschool, after parents/carers have signed an eligibility form and shown your child’s birth certificate so that we can make your claim.
15 Funded hours - 2-Year-Olds
Up to 15 hours for 2-year-olds whose families are receiving some additional forms of government support. .
You can find more details on eligibility and information about at the Childcare Choices website.
BANES expects children receiving the Early Years Entitlement Funding to attend for at least 70% of their booked sessions, except for exceptional circumstances such as an extended period of ill health. They also expect children to attend regularly on all their booked days. Failure to follow this guidance may result in your child's funding being reduced or stopped, and the preschool billing you for the unfunded sessions.
If your child qualifies for the Early Years Entitlement Funding and moves to a different setting part-way through the term, we are under no obligation to transfer the funding to the new provider. Any transfer will be considered on a case-by-case basis, depending on whether we can fill the vacant place with an appropriate child. This may result in you paying full fees to the new provider until the start of a new term.